We have put out condo in Oregon up for sale! We, like so many of our friends, have been playing the waiting game with houses that we need to sell. Our health is good and we want to enjoy the house we move into next...we do not want to move when we are sick or disabled. So we will sell and buy something on one level. OUR HILLSBORO HOME IS FOR SALE!!!! WE WILL SELL!!!

Why am I so confident? Because we have come to realize that the price we get for our house is all relative to what the rest of the market is doing. Even though our condo was worth a good deal more two years ago, what it is worth today is just right in relationship to what everything else is selling for.

This is where the greed comes in. We are not going to be greedy...sellers can be blinded by that old sinful emotion and we are just not going to go there. Selling is a two way street so the buyer and the seller should meet in the middle someplace. We need to sell! It is as simple as that.

Dining Room with kitchen deck in background!

Our condo has been totally re-sheathed on the outside so essentially the exterior is brand new. We have lived in the condo for 10 years but we have not gone nuts buying stainless steel appliances or granite counter tops. We are simple people and that is the way we live. The price reflects our lifestyle choices. Having said that I still think that the condo is beautiful. It is filled with light all winter long. There are three decks...a front porch deck, kitchen deck and a small deck off the master bedroom. We live within walking distance of a Starbucks, several restaurants and a small boutique grocery store. The neighborhood is friendly and has a perfect mix of retired couples and young professionals. We are within walking distance of a huge Intel campus.

So, the question is Will greed keep our Hillsboro home from selling? If we have anything to say about it, the answer will be a resounding NO! WE WILL SELL THIS CONDO...PERIOD!

Mar 28, 2011

The Astor Column, Astoria, Oregon Image via WikipediaNote: If you like the article please click on the share button at the bottom of the post. It helps me a lot. Thank you.

I love the willing suspension of reality...that emotional place that we visit when we stand on ground so historically important that it's mere existence speaks to the beginning of our country. Believe it or not that is the way I feel when I vist the Oregon Coast. If you have ever read Undaunted Courage by Steven Ambrose for example and then stood in the salt cairn in Seaside you can feel Lewis and Clark standing beside you and you know you are taking in the same air that Lewis and Clark breathed over 200 years ago. North of that part of the coast you will find Fort Clatsop where the Lewis and Clark expedition spent the winter of 1805. When I visit these places I can close my eyes and hear the birds in the tree tops. I know they were there. I love that emotional connection with history.

Yesterday I notice an article in the New York Times travel section telling about the community of Astoria, Or. Astoria sits on the Columbia River where is finishes it journey to the Pacific Ocean. Astoria, named after Fort Astoria, is the oldest settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. John Jacob Astor founded a profitable fur trade here during his lifetime and the name took on a life of its own.

His Columbia River trading post at Fort Astoria (established in April 1811) was the first United States community on the Pacific coast. He financed the overland Astor Expeditionin 1810–12 to reach the outpost. Members of the expedition were to discover South Pass, through which hundreds of thousands settlers on the Oregon, California and Mormontrails passed through the Rocky Mountains. Wikipedia

The thing I find so fascinating about Astoria is it's appearance. When I read Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Nasland, it was Astoria that I saw in my minds eye. The way the houses and mansions perch on the hillside and even the look of the houses makes one think they would feel more at home on Maine's coast than here in Oregon. In fact I am sure that the fishermen, sea captains and fur traders that built their home there were holding the east coast fishing village in their minds eye. The pictures you will find on Panaramio shows some of the beautiful old mansion left by sea captains of long ago.

Astoria, according to the New York Times, is a place to do a little sight seeing, eat a bit and maybe take in a museum or two. The article was called Astoria, Oregon, Discovers Waterfront Chic. Chic is very cool. But I would suggest that you walk on a break water and see that enormous ocean rush in at high tide or get on the top of the Astor Column and try to fathom the Columbia bar where the old river joins with the Pacific Ocean. This ferocious joining of two ungiving forces have taken many a fisherman's life. Walk on the beach and see the wreckage of the Peter Iredale that so many generations of children have climbed on. Then try to visualize the explorers and those that followed them seeing that place in all it's natural wonder. Don't go home until the fog rolls in and shrouds the trees and coast in mystery. Visit one of the light houses that dot the coast. I invite you to the place called "suspension of reality" while reading Undaunted Courage. You will see this place on a whole new light!

Oh, by the way, the Oregon coast is owned by the people...access to the beach is easy and you can walk as far as the ocean will let you. Golly, I love that place!

Mar 26, 2011

It is said that the quickest way to act old is to be the office expert on everything...the archivist they call it. I call it the "Cliff Clavin Syndrome". I might be a little bit like Cliff...not that I am proud of it! Here is what has happened this week.

I know nothing about gold fish (or whales)...I just want you to know that from the beginning. Yet I am willing to tell you things about gold fish that will amaze you. For example, did you know that a gold fish will grow to only big enough to survive in the container it is place in? Small containers hold small goldfish, big ponds hold very big goldfish. Did you know that? I have said it a lot of times in spite of the fact that I have never actually seen one piece of information to tell me that the statement is true.

We were out an a fish fry with friends last night and one friend began talking about carp. She thought the cheap fish might be carp. So I had to tell her that I think carp are just big goldfish...I don't know that for sure but that never stopped me from stating it as a fact before. I cannot believe the "goldfish information" came out of my mouth. Did you know that carp are just big goldfish? I said. Did I say that? I had the impulse to look under the chair to see if someone was using me as a dummy and had their hand inside my head! I don't know anything about carp as they relate to goldfish!

I was stopped cold in my tracks when my friend sitting next to me said...You mean like humans???

I could visualize a human living in a golf fish bowl...Humans??? Humans grow to the size to fit their container? I responded. I could see very thin people living in the tiny houses I read about a while back.

Well, she said, not the container but humans will grow into their clothes. I have read that!

I did-not-know-that...that is really interesting! I was impressed.

Now here is the thing...I, as the official Cliff Clavin of the retired set, have added a new piece of information to my file. I know about humans and big clothes. Beware of what I know. And, just because I think I need to say this...humans, unlike goldfish, can shrink back down to their original size so they will fit in the original "container". That, I am thinking, is a very good thing. That is good information too.

I also learned yesterday that WD40 is made of fish oil AND can be sprayed on aching joints for relief. Can that be right??? I sprained my ankle on the golf course last Tuesday (it is much better thank you) so I have received a whole boatload of intelligence from neighbors and friends. My friend that gave me the WD40 info is a retired military man. The doctor across the street said just go get an xray. Everyone else asked if it was broken...just for your information, I have no idea. It is getting better and does not hurt and my husband pulled on my toes and my ankle and I did not pass out so I guess it must not be broken. But an xray? I guess not this time! Oh, I will not be spraying WD40 on my ankle anytime soon...it does not sound like a very good idea.

I hope your week end is going well. I am trying not to act old so I will not be passing on any brilliant pieces of misinformation today. Tomorrow morning I am going out for brunch with friends...who know what tomorrow will bring.

b
PS. The whales intestines are actually about 660 ft long not the whopping 15,840 ft. Cliff claimed!

Mar 25, 2011

Image via WikipediaTucson is the place that Bing Crosby filmed The Bells of St. Mary back in the mid 40s. We have St. Augustine Cathedral in the city and the Catholic Church boasts no less than 24 separate sanctuaries. This was the perfect setting for the movie.

In the world of Catholicism, Tucson has a faithful and dynamic following. When Lent arrives each year, the fish fry world comes to life like wildfire.

Here in Tucson, AZ every restaurant from Ihop to the local Italian restaurant feature a fish fry on Friday nights. St. Pius on the east side of the city features a fish fry cooked by the Knights of Columbus group. Next week we will go and try their offering. We are going to eat out at Del Lago Golf Course tonight. Their special fish fry is around $10.00. On some Fridays we go to the Elks club where we get broiled fish and then dance afterwards.

Lent is a special time in this community and the fish fry has come to be a symbol of the Catholic presence in Tucson. Our RV Resort empties on Friday evenings and bars, restaurants and clubs welcome everyone to what has become a tradition.

Mar 24, 2011

I think Spring might be happening. Here in Arizona Spring means 80 degrees and lots of sunshine. Spring in Oregon mean 55 degree, rain, wind and beautiful flowers. It is all relative. In either case the feeling is the same...hopeful and happy!

We will be returning home soon and now I am beginning to think about our summer gift giving. We are gone all winter and so birthdays and other small celebrations get neglected. To make up for it, we have a huge "share a cake" celebration and everyone gets a gift. It is like Christmas in the summer. I like that a lot. I will shop mostly on Amazon so I signed up for their 2-3 day free shipping offer. I can use the service for one month at no cost. Free shipping is huge these day.

So here are 10 things I will be looking at for the family:

I saw these Zazzle shoes while we were on vacation last summer. The
man that was wearing them was very proud
of his personal design.

Puzzles...Amazon has three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles that caught my eye. A puzzle is perfect for children of all ages and our family loves to build puzzles at parties.

Junior Circle Top blouse. I think these little tee shirt blouses would be perfect for the teens or even preteens. A Nordstroms ad showed these little tops with a long pendant type necklace...darling.

Flowered long scarves...featured by teen and a big favorite this season! Check out the websites for up scale teen styles and then replicate the look by ordering online.

Gift card for Zazzle ...both boys and girls would love to design everything from their own shoes to their three ring binders and have them be delivered to the door. The wonderful shoes are real eye poppers and prices starting at around $50!

10x makeup mirror...lighted of course. The whole family would love one of these. This mirror can save money for women on minor "beauty chores" and men will love them for shaving. I would choose a portable one so we can travel with it.

An invitation for a trip to the local nursery to shop for plants. Spring calls for a country drive, lunch and a basket of flowers. (See Back Roads Near Portland Oregon)

If the man in your life is a golfer, a sleeve of three Pro V One golf balls are always a winner...even if they say they want the cheap kind from the drug store.

Cutter Buck has some beautiful golf sweaters...all men will love one of these whether they golf or not.

Costume wear...in the southwest the cowboy is king so a cowgirl costume or a cowboy costume is the perfect gift from a returning snowbird grandparent. Find one of those hats or fringed skirt so your grandchild can pretend to be a cowgirl or cowboy.

A game...I think Taboo would be fun. My grandsons love to play cards and games. It never sees to get old.

There you have it. 10 spring gifts...just because everyone like a present.

Mar 23, 2011

I fell in a hole...I really fell in a hole. After walking almost 18 holes of golf on a par 72 golf course, I stepped in an invisible hole and sprained my right ankle. YUCK!!! I can walk on it and move everything so I did not go to the doctor. And, after I went to bed last night in a "state of agony", I started laughing! What I was enduring was not that bad but it sure did helped me understand what some of my friends are going through.

You see we are all the walking wounded. My friend Carol had back surgery almost two years ago and she still has shooting pains down her leg. Another friend had a hernia operated on and his wife had a knee replacement this summer. Two other friends have lot of stents in their hearts. A neighbor fell and had to have rotary cuff surgery last week. I fell yesterday and got up with a badly sprained ankle. A friend down the street fell off her bike today and broke her arm just above the wrist. She will be seeing the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow. Stay away for a while...it is not safe to be in this neighborhood at the moment.

A friend came and got me in his golf cart so I could go a potluck. Everyone gathering around listening to all misery and I warned every one...don't walk, don't eat, don't ride your bike, don't lift heavy stuff, don't wear out your joints. We are having a bad spell of wounds here right now. Just be careful.

The thing is we really are all fine...stuff happens on the way to the garbage dump...if we did not laugh so much I am sure it would be very depressing. But we do laugh and we endure...that is what we are all about.

Hi b
There are of course thousands of words that use the letter Y as a 'guest' vowel! There are however very few words without vowels or Y’s. Most are onomatopoeic and although they appear in the OED they are nothing more than sounds – psst, grr, shh, and my favourite, tsktsk!
The only noun without vowels I can remember is ‘crwths’ which is an ancient Gaelic instrument of some kind. It was the answer to a question in a recent pub quiz I took part in! There are many voweless (is that a word?) words in Wales, but of course they are Welsh words from their own baffling language.

Pronunciation is a very interesting subject. There are obvious examples of differences between US and UK English, but right now there is a study going on here in England about the changing way we pronounce common words. They are looking in particular at 8 key words (I can remember only 6 right now!) - neither, attitude,schedule, zebra, controversy, scone. The most interesting one I think is attitude which was pronounced at-it-ude, but now more likely be said at-it-chewed.
I feel a whole new article taking shape!
Keith

I could only think "at-it-chewed"!!!! Really????

This is almost my favorite day of the week...Hot on the Web lets we wander aimlessly with no particular goal. Well, I do want to find things you would love so I guess that is kind of a goal. Still, I think, if I like it, you will too!

ABOUT ME? (As though you care!)

60's Garage Band, Tucson,AZ...excellent!

The wind is blowing...I don't know about you but I stay indoors when the wind blows even when it is warm. Valley Fever is carried in the wind in the southwest US.

I have given up eating bread...it make my tummy hurt. I am hoping Activa helps.

I finished testing a product of Fab Over Fifty and sent in my review last night. The product I tested was called Lashfood Nano-Peptide Eyelash Conditioner (retail value: $95.00). When I bought a premium membership with the group, I was given the opportunity to test products. This is one of those tubes of serum that you apply to the roots of your lashes...the lashes are suppose to become fuller and softer. I tested them for 3+ weeks and I actually did see some improvement. My eyelashes began touching my glasses...it was kind of annoying but at least the results for the product were positive.

My corned beef is in the crock pot...we ate out on St. Patricks Day.

I have two favorite dessert recipes for this winter season. I will share them soon.

We have found a new FAVORITE BAND here in Tucson. It is called The 60s Garage Band. Rock and Roll at it's best! I may become a groupy!

So in answer to "what do you do all day?" I am thinking you don't want to travel around inside my head. It is very crowded in there.

Mar 20, 2011

Grilled Grandmas: I am now a member of a select group of woman called Grilled Grandmas. I was privileged to be selected and interviewed by the Grandma's Briefs Blog this week. You will find out who I really am when you read my responses!

#259 - Free

Sunday Scribblings

A week in the life of a retiree can be anything you want it to be. Living in the past or in the future is okay but enjoying this week, day, hour minute is the best ever. We have declared our FREEDOM and our lives are what we make of them. I personally don't apologise for the wonderful life we enjoy

Freedom at it's best!

Yesterday we were watching the final game of the bocci ball game season with the game that would determine who was the champion here in the RV Resort. I know it seems silly to those of you that disdain a game like bocci...there is no thrilling dangerous excitement. No one gets hurt, or pushed or even yelled at. It is usually quiet even with 100 people stand around watching. The loudest noise you will hear is the heart beat of the people competing. Most people are not used to that kind of attention from a crowd. I know because we played for the championship pizza last year...and lost.

Then my husband pointed out to me that the 60s Garage Band was playing for a dance nearby...just mention dancing to me and I am dressed and in the car. We took friends with us and danced until...drum roll and applauding...9:30 pm. Oh my...we really need to find a place where people stay up later. But the fact is we were done for the day. We had played 18 holes of golf the day before, eaten dinner at a nearby retirement community and collapsed in bed at 10:30. We had gone shopping and running errands between the bocci ball and the dancing and we had cooked dinner on the bar-b-que at around 5:00 o'clock. We were happily tired and full of the day!

I know you young people make fun of old people...they have lunch at 11:00 am, dinner at 4:00 pm and breakfast a 8:00 pm. We turn down our bed at 6:30 pm and are in bed by 9:00 pm. I have heard the routine. I have even laughed myself...but let me tell you this...for the most part it is all a lie. We have something that those of you that work will not understand until you have it yourself...FREEDOM! We can come and go, eat, dance, dress just like we want and when we want. Trust me, being free is just about the best thing around.

Mar 19, 2011

Image via WikipediaI LOVE MY KINDLE
I love my Kindle handheld ebook reader. The books are very inexpensive and I don't have to store real books on a shelf! The large print has saved my reading life...that alone makes the device worth it's weight in gold!

HOW MUCH HAVE I USED MY KINDLE
Well here is the list that is on my reader today and how I rate them:

What did I pay for these books? Well I paid around $8...sometimes a lot less. The next book I read will be Cutting for Stone. This book was recommended by a friend. It is marketed on the Amazon website for $7.99. When I order the book, it will be delivered within seconds of my order via my wireless connection (at home, in airports, Starbucks, etc.).

FYI...WHY A HANDHELD EBOOK READER

Senior citizens quit reading because they cannot see the print or because large print books are very heavy and cumbersome. If they are housebound for any reason, they can simply go to their Kindle wireless and order books from their living room. Handheld ebook readers can be the answer to a prayer for them. In a comparison of ebook readers on the wikipedia website someone has compiled graphs with all the information about the features of each model. When you get ready to purchase one, satisfy yourself that you have picked the right one. Many have features that I just do not want or need...Internet connection or a touch screen just is not something I would ever use. I suppose that is why the Kindle has turned out to be the perfect choice for me.

Have a wonderful day!

b

PS...dancing tonight and barbecue tomorrow...this retiree is having a good time!

Mar 18, 2011

Note: I am still asking readers to click on the follow button if they have not already done that. I have also added a Technorati Badge on the right. If you click on that I would appreciate it too. Thank you.

We have family living in Shanghai, China. They live on the east side of the city...Pu Dong. Their house is on a golf course and the China Sea spills into their living room when the monsoon season comes each year. We try not to worry because they are very responsible world citizens.

When the earth quake hit Japan last week we remembered that our son and his wife had applied for jobs in Japan last year. How different their and our lives are because they did not get that job. We received a simple text message from them that said "We are okay...no tsunami!" Then as we began to get word of nuclear reactor problems we like the parents of children that attend the school where my son is deputy superintendent were very concerned about how that could come into play. In fact, all parents in China are very worried about the health of their children. How could they not be. I realize how much pain and worry parents of expats living in Japan must be experiencing.

So the reality is that parents in that part of the world are talking about iodine therapy to remove radiation just like the parents along the west coast of the United States. They too are rushing to find solutions for a problem that will probably never arrive at their shores because of prevailing winds. My husband and I know that we are truly citizens of the world when it comes to issues that affect our environment. We know that no country or community is isolated from a disaster like the one in Japan. In fact, we are feeling closer to cultures we do not understand because we see that their life is a reflection of our own in so many ways.

The expat schools in China have banned together to provide their communities with consistent and truthful information. They are relying on their country's embassies and the government in Japan and China to keep them informed. As in the United States, parents expect the school to be their protector. The schools are not equipped to do that job but are willing to be the transmitters of information to their parents. Every day is a challenge.

For people like myself, it is hard to wrap our minds around the place where expats live and work. It is a nether world of an extraordinary kind...especially in times of crisis. Those people that live in a Third Culture Society understand they are in fact citizens of a larger world...citizens of their own country, citizens of the country where they reside, and citizens of the world. Their pool of resources is very unlike ours.

As a grandparent of two granddaughter who are called Third Culture Kids, I am very grateful, sometimes a little fearful but always very excited for the life they lead. As for the situation in Japan, I am reminded that the earth we walk on is a very fragile place and I try to tread lightly.

Re-nest over at Apartment Therapy posted an article called 10 Ways to Kick the Paper Habit. The suggestions were for those of you that are drowning in a sea of files gone wild and articles about a trip you planned on taking 20 years ago. Paper magazines, National Geographics and golf magazines can take over every room in your house. If you are moving those magazines to the guest room or the unused bathroom you might want to consider taking them to the doctor's office...they might need them. They will throw them away if you can't. If you have not read them for several month you never will so bite the bullet now!

I have subscribed to Oprah online and the back issues are archived for me. I probably will not do this again because I am not an Oprah fan but I will do it with other magazines.

I shared the Re-nest article on my FaceBook account sometime this last week. These were the comments I received from friends. I would love to have your comments on how you are breaking the paper habit:

N.-Hm, must keep TP, printer paper, genealogy documents, paper towels, photos, my favorite books. I recycle much paper -- containers for foods, magazines, unsolicited mail, and newspapers especially, but I read it or use it on its way through.

Yesterday at 10:05am ·

Barbara WELL...the tp I can understand but after that you lost me!!! :)

16 hours ago ·

N.- I am not as advanced as you in kicking the paper habit. I still have much ancestry research to do, and I love the papers on which those precious old documents are written. I love my notebooks of ancestry research. I love the papers on which my grandchildren have drawn and written. i am pretty hopeless, I think.

13 hours ago ·

P.- As it is I only keep paper copies of the most essential things--I purged when I move, but they still occupy a box and large safety deposit box

5 hours ago ·

P. Oh the new "enter comment!" I wonder about people who find it good to use less toilet paper or to use cloth as I've read studies about underwear. fecal residue, and washing machines. People have to be realistic and think about sanitation also

5 hours ago ·

N.- EEUUUUUUUUUUW!! LESS toilet paper would be MORE of things I don't want. I suppose it is possible, but count me out. I will give the rest a little more thought. I do want to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. I still cannot envision electronic EVERYTHING!

about an hour ago ·

BarbaraToilet paper is a real necessity...but in places like China and Thailand, it is a good idea to carry several small packages of kleenex....I guess they feel their is less contamination because of the way their squat toilets are designed. In Europe the bidets help somewhat. But Norah, if you lived in a very small space, you would find that keeping unnecessary paper is not possible if you want to remain sane! We have a small portable file that we travel with...we have never been without the paperwork we need.

Notebooks, scrapbook and photo albums are not made of paper...they are made of memories. Never get rid of them.

3 minutes ago ·

BarbaraMe again...I read a book about an author several years ago that kept a copies of everything she wrote in a shed in the backyard just in case the house burned down or the internet went belly up. I guess I just don't value a lot of things...and my writing is not valuable enough to build a shed for!

Have a wonderful day everyone...I will be looking forward to seeing your comments.